Herman theodore schlegel



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet' 1.

H. T. SGHLEGEL. ELECTRIC AOTUATING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

No. 440,241. Patented Nov. 11, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2,

H. T. SOHLBGEL. ELECTRIC AGTUVATING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

No. 440,241. Patented Nov. 11,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN THEODORE SOHLEGEL, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF THREE-FOURTHS TO ALBERT A. SOHLEGEL AND MICHAEL J. GILBO, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 440,241, dated November 11, 1890. Application filed September 6,1889. Serial No, 323,182. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: the arbor. Yet at the same time the arbor 50 Be it known that I, HERMAN THEODORE has independent movement of the ratchet and SOHLEGEL, a citizen of the United States, removes independently when the hands of the siding at Akron,in the county of Summit and clock are moved for the purpose of setting State of Ohio, have invented a new and usethe clock.

ful Actuating Mechanism for Clocks, of which From the base of the core of the electro- 55 the following is a specification. magnet there projects a bearing 12, in which This invention has relation to electric timeby bearing-pin 13 is mounted a lever 14, from keepers, and among the objects in view are which there projects at a right angle thereto provide a motor which shall be of simple from an arm 15, the end of which terminates construction and consist of as few parts as near the upper end of the magnetet and abuts 6c possible, and which is adapted to impart an in its oscillations alternately against a poleintermittent movement to a train of clockpiece forming a stop 16, and a set-nut 17, gearing. threaded on screw 18, extendin g from the stop lVith these general objects in View the in- 16. By this construction it will be apparent vention consists in certain features of 0011- that the vibrations of the rock-arm 15 may be struction, hereinafter specified, and particuregulated by an adjustment of the thumblarly pointed out in the claims. nut 17.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a The rocking lever in is provided near its 20 front elevation of a motor constructed in acouter end with a counterbalancing-weight 19 cordance with my invention, with a portion of and with a binding-post 20, in which is sethe outer plate forming the casing thereof cured one of the terminals 21 of the magnetic removed. Fig. 2 is a rear view, the rear plate wire. The post 20 also carries an adjustable removed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation; Fig. 4, contact-point 22.

2 5 an enlarged detail,in side elevation,of the 0011- From the free end of the rocking lever 1i tact-points and their adjacent mechanism. there projects at a right angle thereto a hori- Like numerals indicate like parts in all the zontal arm 23, pivoted in the end of which is figures of the drawings. a toothed pawl 2a, the tooth of which engages The case for supporting and inclosing the with the ratchet-wheel 7, and is maintained 3o mechanism hereinafter referred to consists normally in engagement by a flat spring 25,

of opposite plates 1 and 2, the latter being the secured to the arm 23 and terminating against front plate, and between the plates are inter the pawl. posed spacing-sleeves 3 at any desired points. 26 represents a rock-shaft mounted be- 4 represents an electromagnet, which is tween the plates 1 and 2 and transversely 3 5 secured and supported upon the rear plate 1 above the ratchet-wheel '7, and fixed upon the by means of screws 5 passing through the shaft is a depending counter catch or pawl plate. 27, the free end of which operates in the 6 represents an arbor which is connected ratchet-wheel a few teeth above the pawl 24. with the clock-gearing in any suitable and 28 represents a flat spring secured to and 40 usual manner, and upon the same ismounted depending from a binding-sleeve 3, located aratchet-wheel 7 andatoothed gear 8, having above the rock-shaft 26, the free end of the a hub 9, from which extends an arm 10, enspring terminating against the rear face of gaging a pin 11, projecting laterally'from the the counter catch or pawl 27 and normally ratchet-wheel, whereby any movement of the maintaining said catch in mesh with the 45 ratchet-wheel will be transmitted to the gear wheel 7.

S. The gear 8 is rigid with the arbor 6, while 29 represents a bar provided with a bind 5 the ratchet 7 is loose thereon. ing-post 30, which receives the wire terminal The ratchet 6 by means of the arm 10 and 31, tied to one of the poles of a battery, the pin 11 operates the gear 8 and consequently remaining wire 21 leading to the magnet.

The bar 29 depends from the rock-shaft 26, and a flat spring 32, slotted as at 33, is secured to the bar by set-bolts 34. The lower end of the spring, or what is in realitya flexible blade, is provided with platinum plate 35, which takes contact with the contact-point 22, whichcloses the circuit of the pile.

The counter catch or pawl 27 ,it will be observed, has two functionsnamely, to prevent a retrograde movement of the ratchet 7 when drawn down and released by the pawl 24, and to produce an oscillation of the rock- 7 shaft 26, which, it will be apparent, will have the effect of making and breaking contact between the contact-plate 35 and the contactpoint 22, and thus cause an intermittent pulsation of electricity through the circuit in which is located the electro-magnet 4E.

The operation is as follows: At the timethat the rocking lever 14: is at the lower end of its movementthe electrical contact is established between the plate 35 and the contact-point 22, and when in such position the current coming from the terminal wire 31' passes through the bar 29, the spring-blade 32, the plate 35, the contact-point 22, and the wire 21 back to the magnet, and through the magnet which magnetizes the pole 16 and attracts the free end of the rock-arm 15, thus oscillating the lever and bringing it in contact with the magnetized stop or pole and raising the rocking lever 14, and through the terminal '31 to the battery. This vertical raising of the rocking lever 14 raises the pawl 24 one tooth in advance of the ratchet-wheel 7, so that at a subsequent drop of the rocking lever 14 said ratchet-wheel is operated one tooth. As the wheel is operated by the pawl '24, the holding-pawl 27 is naturally oscillated by the contour'of the tooth against which it rests, which oscillation rocks the shaft 26 and raises the contact-point 35 and drops into the next tooth. When the point 35 is raised, the circuit is broken between the plate 35 and point 32, and thus the electric circuit is broken. The rock-arm 15, not being attracted by'the now non-magnetized stop 16, is caused by the 'counterbalancing-weight 19 to fall or vibrate, which acts to re-establish the circuit through the plate 35 and point 22. The duration of each vibration of the vibratory rockarm 15 may be regulated by the weight 19, which is adjustable on the rocking lever 14, and through the medium of the set-nut 17 the distance in which the'vibratory arm 15 travels is also regulated in accordance with the strength of the electric current.

The parts are so regulated that the passing of atooth consumes one minute of time, and the entire mechanism, it will be understood,

will be controlled and regulated by any ordinary horological escapement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an actuating mechanism for clocks, the combination, with an electro-magnet and its pole and an electrical circuit, of a rocking lever having a vibratory rock-arm extending rigidly therefrom and having intermittent contact with the pole, a contact-point mounted on the rocking lever, and an electric terminal connected withthe point and to one of the poles of the magnet, a contact-plate, and means for oscillating the same, said plate being connected with the opposite terminal of the electric wire and adapted for contact with the point of the arm, substantially as specified.

2. In an actuating mechanism for clocks, the combination, with an electro-magnet arranged in a circuit, of a rocking lever having a vibratory rock-arm rigidly mounted thereon for intermittent contact with the pole of the magnet, a contact-point, and a weight mounted on the rocking lever, and an electric terminal connected with the contact-point, a contact bar having a plate, and means for oscillating the same, and a binding-post mounted on the bar and connected with the opposite electric terminal, the plate of the bar being adapted for contact with the contact-point of the rocking lever, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in an actuating mechanism for clocks, of a hand-supporting arbor, a fixed gear mounted on the arbor, a ratchetwheel for rotating the gear, a ipawl for operating the ratchet-wheel, a rocking lever for supporting the pawl, a binding-post and contact-point mounted on the rocking lever, and a weight also mounted on the lever, arockarm projecting from the lever, an electric magnet connected with the binding-post, and a rocking contact-plate having a binding-post for the reception of a wire in circuit with the magnet, a rock-shaft for supporting the plate, a fixed pawl depending from the rock-shaft and operated by the ratchet-wheel, and a contact-plate arranged at the lower end of the plate and adapted for contact with the point on the lever, substantially as specified.

4. In an actuating mechanism-for clocks, the combination, with a rocking lever having a binding-post and a contact-point, and an electric terminal secured tothe post, of a rockshaft mounted above the lever, a depending rock-arm mounted on the shaft and carrying a yielding contact-plate, an oscillating pawl depending from the shaft, and a ratchet-wheel and means for operating the same in the path of the pawl, substantially as specified.

5. In an actuating mechanism for clocks, the combination, with the sides 1 and 2 and bindingsleeves 3, of the electro-magnet 4, supported by the rear side 1, the bearing 12, located below the magnet, the rocking lever 14, pivoted, as at 13, in the bearing and having the arm 15, the pole of the magnet forming a stop and having the threaded end 18, and ad justable nut 17, and means for temporarily magnetizing the magnet, substantially as specified. V

6. In an actuating mechanism for clocks, the combination, with the rock-shaft 26, having the rock-arm 29, and binding-post 34, and the terminal 31, connected therewith, of the slotmy own I have hereto aifixed my signature in ted yielding contact-plate 32, the bolts 34, for presence of two Witnesses. adjusting the plate, and the rocking lever 14,

l r l having the contact-point 22, binding-post 20, HERMAN PHEODORE SCHLEGET" 5 and the electrical terminal 21, substantially Witnesses:

as specified. A. F HABICHT,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as PHILIP P. BOOK. 

